Parks and Recreation and its glorious sendoff

February 25, 2015 5:31 PM

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Since its inception, Parks and Recreation has always played the role of the underdog. Premiering during the height of the mockumentary era of The Office and Modern Family, the show admittedly had a rough start. With just six episodes in its first season, it had little time to find its comedic voice. Full disclosure, after watching the first six episodes, I had nearly dismissed it as little more than a lesser version of The Office. But like the indomitable main character Leslie Knope, I stubbornly stuck with Parks and Recreation. And I’m glad I did. Because once Parks and Recreation developed and honed its unique charm, there was no show on television that better blended the genuine earnestness and affection of its characters, with a unique comedic sensibility.

Amy Poehler initially played her Leslie Knope character as an optimistic, yet somewhat oblivious public servant. And it could have been easy to dismiss her as simply a female version of Michael Scott. Yet, as the show progressed, co-creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur reimagined Knope, not as ju...